Coin controlled toy bank



Dec. 23, 1952 H. B. GROW coIN coNTRoLLED 'roY BANK Filed Oct. 16, 1947 llW//// ||||||o, ...lilo

1N VEN TOR. [farlo W. 'z'ow.

A TTOR/VEK Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED TOY BANK v Harlow B. Grow, Linden, Mo. Application October 16, 1947, Serial No. 780,209

This invention relates generally to a coincontrolled mechanism, applicable to coin receptacles of any kind, and capable of employment in con nection with toy banks. f Y,

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, effective and especially inexpensive type of a coin controlled mechanism adapted to visually or otherwise indicate or determine the denomination of a coin placed therein by its thickness, and whereby such coin, irrespecftive of its thickness, is adapted to actuate the mechanism to perform certain functions.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide such coin controlled mechanism in combination with other devices, such as a toy bank. for not only indicating the denomination of a coin inserted therein, but for performing other desired functions.

r A further, more specific object of this invention is to provide a toy bank equipped with a coin controlled mechanism composed of two co-acting elements, and wherein parts of the mechanism are adapted to normally interlock with one another, and are further adapted to become released by the insertion of a coin.

The foregoing and still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a presently preferred form of a toy bank in the form of a toy house;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on a vertical plane indicated by line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on a vertical plane indicated by line 3-3 in Fig. 2 with a portion of the coin chute, representing the chimney, broken off;

Fig. 4 is a iragmental sectional detail plan view of the coin controlled mechanism employed in the t-oy bank, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and showing the mechanism in one position;

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical cross sectional detail view, taken approximately on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in cross section similar to that shown in Fig. 4, with the mechanism in another position; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatical detail view of a portion of the coin controlled mechanism adapted for determining the denomination of coins inserted into the mechanism .by the thickness of the coins.

, Referring now more specically to the figures, numeral I0 designates a coin receptacle, shown in s claims. (c1. 1s-4) the present illustrations in Ithe form of a toy house, which constitutes a substantially fully closed coin` receiving chamber, provided with a coin removal opening II, which is normally rendered` inaccessible by a closure I2 controlled by a lock arrangement I3, as shown atthebottomof Fig.,3. The coin bank4v maybe constructed of either translucent "or opaque material, vorboth, and, when made from opaque material, there may be provided windows at one or more walls of the structure, such as indicated in wall I4 at I5 of Fig. 3. Opposite window I5 there is preferably arranged a door opening I6 permanently and completely covered from the inside by a transparent member I'I. Operative in opening I6 is a closure or door I8 which is normally held in closed position by a spring hinge I9. A suitable handle 20 facilitates vmanual opening of the door when the latter is released for such operation, as will be presently explained.

Secured to the upper edge of door I8 is an arcuate detent element 2l composed of a larger arcuate portion or quarter segment 22 and a similar smaller portion or quarter segment 23, which latter is operative in a slot 24 cut out from transparent covering I'I. Y l

The diierence in radii'between the larger and smaller segments 22 and 23 of the detent provides in that structure a step formation consti-tuting an abutment 25 which is intended to serve two distinct purposes, as will become presently evident. Arranged on the top surface and theend remote from abutment 25 of larger portion or segment 22 of the detent element is a wedge-shaped member 2G. e

Extending from and above the roof of the toy bank is a substantially tubular coin chute 21 in the form of a chimney in which are provided two vertical slots, disposed at rightangles to` one another. One, the longer slot 28, is the coin receiving slot, whereas the shorter slot 29 serves for accommodating a curved lever 30 adapted to be operated by coins inserted into slot 28. Lever 3U constitutes the inner arm of a bell crank structure 3l, pivoted at 32, the other or outer arm of the bell crank being indicated at`33. 'Ihis outer arm terminates in a hook 34 adapted to cooperate with abutment 25 and wedge member 26 of detent 2|. A spring element 35 secured between outer arm 33 and chimney extension 36 normally urges bell crank structure 3| in one, that is, in clockwise direction when observed from the side seen in Fig. 2. Due to the tension of the spring inner arm 30 is urged towards end wall 31 of chimney 21, Whereas hook 34 is kept in engageaeaaee 3 ment with abutment 25 of detent element 2|. As stated, abutment 25 of the detent serves two purposes. One purpose of the abutment is to retain detent element 2l in one of its end positions at which door I8 is closed, whereby the latter is prevented from being manually opened, lsee Fig. 4. The other purpose of abutment 25 is to hold detent 2l in its other end position at which it serves as end stop for the` manually opened door in the manner indicated in Fig. 6. In the iirst end position abutment 25 becomes engaged by hook 34, whereas in the other end position abutment 25 engages tapered surface portion 38 provided at the upper center of trans- Y face of chimney 21 is preferably equipped with` a cover 39 which extends over and obscures transverse slot 29, while leaving accessible longitudinal slot 28 for the insertion of coins.

Operation of thel toy honk Prior to the insertion of a coin into the toy bank lthe different operating parts of the,A device are vheldin their initial position shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4* and in Fig. 5 in full lines. Thus door I8, normally closed by spring hinge I9, is additionally held in that closedV position by the engagement of hook 34 with-abutment 25 of detentZI. Hook 34 of lever arm 33 is kept in engagement with abutment 25 by the tension of spring 35. At the same time coin operated-lever arm 35 is urged towards end wall 3l.

When now a coin is inserted through-slot 28 lever arm- 30 is moved in a direction opposite to that induced by the spr-ing, that is to the left, as indicated in full lines in lig.l 5. (Compare the two positionsof bellbra-nk lever arms 30 andv 33 in Figs. 2 and 5.) While arm30 isforcedto Vthe left, hook 34 disengages abutment25, thus releasing detent 2I. Due to this-release--of the deterit door. I8 may be now-manually opened to the. position.V indicated -in-broken lines in Fig. 5 Y

and-lin fullhnes in Fig. 6. Duringv the manual opening of the door, detent- 2-Iswing'sf about its fulcrum, which is spring hingel I9, throughlan-arc of, say, '75 degrees, and during this outwardly swinging-motion the coin,-indicated in full lines at C in Fig; 5, i's` temporarily heldin slot 28 by inner leverarm'35 due to the tensioneXerted by spr-ing 35. As door I8 nears its fully open position,-shown in Fig. 6, wedge-shaped elementf26 is brought` beneath hook 34 oflever arm 33 and raisesy that hook andthe arm to the yposition indicated in broken lines in Fig. 5. The upward movement of lever 33 also causes inner lever arm 30 to move'v from its full-line positionr to the left and to assume the-position indicated in broken lines At that' position of lever 30 coin C is-'released and is permitted to drop in the direction of the arrow into-the interior of the toy bank. During. the period the coin is released, door I8 is kept open to its extreme position, its opening movement being limited by the engagement of abutment 25 with taperedsurface 38 'of transparent cover- Il. Thusfthe coin dropping into the bank may be readily observed throughv that transparent memberf Referring now toY Fig'. 1, there will be seen arranged at the side vof-cliimney ZIan` indicator and a scale denoted atl 4I).y InFig. '7 a diagram illustrates the bell crank arrangement 3|. Theend oflever arm 30 ofthe bellY crank is engagedby one end of a reciprocatingly mounted rodfil op eratingin a guide 42. The-opposite end of rod4I 4 engages the upper end of indicator 43 hinged at 44 and urged towards lever arm 35 by spring 45. The lower end of indicator 43 is movable over a scale 45 on which are provided letters desi-gnating the different thicknesses of a dime, a penny, a nickel and a quarter. Thus when a coin is inserted between lever arm 35 and end wall 31 of the chimney, the thickness of the coin will cause indicator 34 to assume any one of the several positions marked by the, letters; on thescale and show the denomination of the inserted coin.

Obviously the coin indicator shown in Fig. '7 may be employed for purposes other than that of justindicating the denomination of coins. It

`may. readily serve to control the acceptance or rejection of coins in coin operated devices. However',. as applied to the toy bank illustrated in Fig. l, it serves to add interest to the user of the device. v

While in the foregoing more or less specic constructions ofthe Ytoy bank and its mechanism arefdescribed, it is quite. obvious that changes and improvements may' beV incorporated therein without departing from the 'broad' scope of the present invention as vcovered nbythe vannexed claims'.

Iclaim: y

l. Inacoin-controlled door latchingstiuctul'e fora toy bank, thelatter including a substantially closed compartment having Vanopening; a transparent memberpermanently' secured' over saidopeningY and-a movable'- door adapted to normally cover said-openingand to assume an adjacent positionv relativetofsaid transparent member an arcuatedetentextending from the door into thev compartment and comprising aV larger anda smaller portion,'the latte/r "beingV operative in a slot provided in the transparent member, an abutment formed at the junction of thellarger and smaller detent'portions, a coin chute extendingabove and beingl directed intosaid-compartment, thereby /freeingt'h'e doorffor manualopenprovided'in said'chuteya lever structurecomposed-of spaced inner and outerar'insandmaving a common pivot,- its inner-arm -beingoperativefwithinone ofA the chute -slotsyi'ts' outer arm terminating in a hockend coacting with said detent; said doorbeingV adapted to assume-either its aforesaid normal-closed or an openpositi'on. to which latter position the door is operated manually, a spring-y elementforfsaidV lever structure-adapted-to cause the latter to swing in one direction. thereby urging the `inner arm toward one wall ofV the chute and the 'outer'arm into engagement with thedetent' abutment whereby the door is kept closed, said inner armybeing adapted, when a coinis -in'serted'in the chute',V

to moveaway from the chute wall, to' momentarily retain the coinin the chute, andto cause' the disengagement of the hook; from the' Iabutment, two transversely disposed, vertical slots ing; a hook velevating member., provided at the free end of the'larger detentV portion and `being adapted, when/'the door ismoved to its lfullyopen position, toengage andraisethe hoo'kand thus to` swing the lever structurei againstthetension of the spring element, wherebytheinsertedcoin 'becomes released and 'dfrops'winto' the compartment,' and means associated -withv4 the chutel and cooperating-with the inner a'rmfor-indicating the denomination of an inserted coin.v

' 2. In-I a coin-controlled door-latchingf'structure for toy banks or the like, having --a bank chamber and a swingable door,` agcoi'nV chute extending partly vabove and partlyinto the' bank:

chamber, said coin chute having a relatively wide coin-receiving slot and a shorter slot disposed centrally; to and crossing the wide slot, a double arm lever structure associated with the chute,

one of.l its arm-s being curved and being operative Awithin the shorter slot and normally engaging with its curved portion one of the end Walls of the shorter slot,v said curved arm being adapted to be moved from its normal position by a coin inserted into the wide slot and to temporarily retain the coin in that slot, the other lever arm having a hook end and extending into the bank chamber, an arcuate detent element provided at the upper, interior edge of the door and having an abutment normally engageable by the hook end of the other lever arm when said curved lever arm is in its normal position, whereby the door is kept in closed position, said abutment also serving for limiting the opening movement of the door, when released by said hook end at the time the curved lever arm retains a coin in the chute, hook end actuating means provided with said detent element for imparting a coin-releasing movement to said curved arm of the lever structure when the door approaches its full opening position, spring means for normally urging the lever structure to a position at which its curved arm abuts with that one wall of the shorter slot, while the hooked end of its other arm is kept in engagement with said abutment.

3. In a coin-controlled mechanism for coinoperated devices, including a coin receptacle, a coin receiving -chute extending partly into and partly outside of said receptacle, said chute having a relatively long coin-receiving slot and a shorter slot, the latter crossing the long slot at right angles substantially at its center, a bell crank lever structure pivotally mounted beneath said chute, one of its arms being curved and extending into the shorter slot, the other bell crank arm extending with its free end into said receptacle, spring means associated with said other arm for urging its free'end downwardly and thus causing the curved arm to normally engage one of the ends walls of said shorter slot, said curved arm being adapted to be moved against the tension exerted by said spring means as a coin is inserted into the long slot and to engage one face of the coin and to first momentarily retain the coin within the long slot, and, thereafter, to release the coin when the free end of said other crank arm is moved upwardly, thereby causing the curved arm to move toward the opposite end wall of the shorter slot so that it clears said long slot and permits the coin t-o drop; a revolving detent operable in the path of operation of the free end of said other crank arm and being adapted to either elevate that other arm or release it to its lowermost position, depending upon the relative position of the detent in respect to the free end of said other arm.

4. In a mechanism for coin-operated devices, a substantially tubular coin chute having a coin receiving slot and another intersecting slot transverse thereto, a bell crank having spaced but jointly pivoted arms one arm being operative in said transverse slot, the other, outer arm terminating in a hook, a revolving detent composed of two joined smaller and larger segments and movable to either of two end positions in a plane transverse to the direction of operation of said outer arm and having an abutment at the juncture of its segments adapted to become engaged by said hook for holding the detent in one end 6 position, a fixed stop engageable by said'. abutment for vstopping the detent at the other end position, a hook raising element on said detent for elevating the hook when the detent is in that other end position, and a spring member engaging the bell crank for normally urging its `one arm towardan end wall of said transverse slot, thereby exerting pressure against one face of a coin inserted into said coin-receiving slot and temporarily holding it against one wall of the coin receiving slot, said spring member also normally urging said vouter arm into engagement with said detent; said hook ofl the bell crank being raised from said abutment by insertion of said coin and coaction of said one arm therewith, and allowing said detent to be moved to said other end position, whereat said hook is further elevated by the said hook raising element, effecting a further movement of said one arm in a direction opposite to that induced by said spring member, to an extent whereby the temporarily held coin is released.

5. In a toy bank or the like, a substantially fully closed bank body having a lockable closure arranged in its base, a single door opening provided in one wall of the body, an opaque door swingable outwardly in respect to said door opening, means for normally urging the door to its closed position, a transparent cover extending over and fully sealing the door opening from within, an arcuate element associated with and forming a part of the upper edge of the door, a slot in said transparent cover for permitting the movement therethrough of said arcuate element, said element comprising smaller and larger segments of different radii characterized by a step-formation at the juncture of the segments; said step-formation being adapted to engage one edge of the slot when the door is swung open, thus serving as limiting stop for the outward movement of the door; a wedge-shaped member formed on the top face and at that end of the larger segment which is remote from said stepformation; a coin chute extending from and beyond the bank body, a spring-loaded bell crank structure operatively associated with the chute, one of its arms normally bearing against one wall of the chute, its other arm being adapted to engage the step-formation, thus locking the door in closed position, insertion of a coin into said chute between said one wall and said one arm, releasing said other arm from engagement with said step formation, the wedge-shaped member of said arcuate element being adapted to further elevate said other arm of the bell crank when said door is opened, thereby causing that one arm thereof to assume a position away from that one chute wall.

6. In a toy bank as per claim 5, said coin chute having two vertical slots disposed at right angles to one another, one slot being longer and serving for the reception of coins, the shorter slot being adapted to accommodate said one arm of the bell crank structure, said other arm terminating in a hook normally adapted to engage said step-formation of the said element for keeping the door in closed position, insertion of a coin into said chute between said one wall and said one arm releasing said other arm from engagement with said step formation, said hook being further adapted to disengage said step-formation, and thus permit the manual opening of the door, when the said one arm is actuated by and momentarily holds in place a coin inserted into the longer slot of the chute; said wedge-shaped member of the. arouateelementbengfadapted to furtherYV elevate said other arm of the`v bell crank when said door is opened, thereby/causing that one arm thereof to assurrna a: position away from thatV oneohute' wall `to .a coin-releas` ing position. to `theend .thatihe released coin may be observed falling into: theptoy .bank inte:- ror through the transparent cover sealing. the door-opening.

HARLOW B. GROW;

REFEREN(EESn` CITED The following-references reof record in the leV of this patent;

8 UNITED isfrATEsfPATENfrs Number 232,978

Name Daie- Goudie Aug; 14,- 1883 Rex Apr. 80, 1889 Griswold Apr. 12, 1892 Keeling July 2, 1918 Gleason Sept. 28,'71926 MiHaly June `9, 1936 

